The Kitchen Interlude
by VisualIDentificationZeta
Summary: HarmJen SUMMARY: One Harmon Rabb... check. One Jennifer Coates... check. Someone else's baby... check. A damn embarrassing situation... check.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Kitchen Interlude

AUTHOR: Vid Z.

PAIRING: Harm/Jen

TIMELINE: a week or two after the birth of Roberts twins

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc of the TV show JAG are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fic. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I posted this with a SG-1 fic of mine, but reposting it here since it's the first new JAG fic over the mark.

This fic has namely reached over that magical mark.

100.

Yes, one hundred posted fics. 104 exactly. Who would've thought that I, a guy with a serious aversion towards typing, would ever get this far. Thank you all for sticking through the years with me, supporting me, cheering me on even when I was so disillusioned that I just wanted to give up and say to hell with it all.

My biggest thanks to Lynnp and her hubby and to Suz for sticking with me from the very first beginning, even when I didn't even know of ff. net, to the present. Thank you, ladies and gentleman, you have my eternal gratitude.

SUMMARY: Harmon Rabb... check. Jennifer Coates... check. Someone else's baby... check. A damn embarrassing situation... check.

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The party was in full swing when Harm stepped into the kitchen, looking for a Coke.

The last thing he expected was to find Jen standing inside the kitched, holding a baby in her arms.

The Roberts were having a party to make up for the lack of one on Christmas Eve and the whole bullpen staff along with senior staff was present.

He'd noticed a few minutes that Jen was not around, but thought nothing of it. She'd probably gone to the bathroom or something. In the end she would find him since he was her ride. He'd run out of Coke and had decided to make a run to the kitchen for it. He had really not expected to find Jen, holding the young Nikki with so much care and skill as if she was the baby's mother and proving wrong his assumption that all kids were already in their rooms.

She noticed him standing at the now closed door, looking at her questioningly.

"She couldn't sleep so Harriet asked me if I could get her to sleep while she attended to the guests."

Harm was surprised. "You do that often? Babysit the kids, I mean?"

Shaking her head she explained softly. "No. This is actually the first time. Nikki just seemed to like me when I held her earlier and was more quiet with me."

Harm nodded, he'd seen himself how Nikki had taken to Jen. Sometimes kids have great instincts and can sense a good person.

Retrieving for what he'd come to the kitchen he hesitated. Somehow the thought of going back to the party didn't suit him anymore. It was too noisy and humid. On the other hand, it was quiet and peaceful here in the kitchen. The large window was turned towards the backyard and only dark could be seen as it was night already.

Then his attention shifted to Jen and again he noted what a good instinct she had with kids. She was handling it like a pro. How was it possible that this amazing youg woman was still single and without kids? Were all other, not regs-restricted, men blind, dumb and stupid?

"You'll make an amazing mother to some lucky bastard's kids someday." he noted and Jen blushed at the compliment.

She was silent for a while, gathering her thoughts, until she spoke up. "D'you know Harriet's only a year older than me? She's 31 and she has 4 kids, a good husband and a career. Okay, she had a career until last year. Anyway, she has 4 kids and is only a year older. And what do I have? I've got nothing." her eyes mistened and Harm was seized by panic at the thought of Jen starting to cry.

The situation would've certainly ended with him drawing the short straw. The General was in the other room and if Harm would try to console Jen and their CO would come in, then they would be toast. On the other hand, if Jen started crying and he would keep his distance, adhere to the regs, then he would be accused of having made her cry when the others would notice her red eyes.

"Oh, Jen, you've still got time. But if you think that's bad, then look at me. 41 and not even a prospect of a family on the horizon." Harm joked, trying to get her to cheer up, but was shot down in his attempt when Jen grimaced and almost started crying again.

Harm cursed himself silently, he'd always known that Jen was an extremely compassionate woman and when it came to him she was almost emphatic. Somehow she could read his moods and had cued on to his desire to have a family when he'd taken Mattie in.

In the end he settled for putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. When he saw her body relax he patted himself mentally on his back for finding the right way to offer her comfort, but without ending up in court.

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	2. Chapter 2

Fixed some mistakes and tuned it up, so here's the second part.

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Then he put both hands on her shoulders and stared intently into her eyes, trying to impart his wisdom. It was important to him that she didn't make his mistakes. He'd screwed his up big time and didn't want her to do the same.

"You've still got time, Jen, but don't waste that time, like I have. When you find the right man don't hesitate and don't wait for the perfect moment, there are no perfect moments, you have to create them yourself. If you're absolutely sure he's the right one, that there's no chance of a divorce later on, make whatever sacrifice is needed to get what your heart wants. Career is all well and nice, but it doesn't warm your bed at night and it doesn't fill your heart with love. And when you're old it doesn't chase away the loneliness, because for one thing it's over by then and you no longer have it. Only the person you love does all that. Just don't waste time like I have." he implored her passionately.

Jen's eyes glazed over as she seemed to have gone inside herself. She was trying to decide whether to take his advice and just follow her heart, damn the torpedoes.

Harm looked at her surprised when she suddenly stiffened and a determined gleam entered her warm chocolate eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something, but what she'd been about to say Harm would never find out because just then the baby in her arms started mewling and rooting against her. Jen was holding Nikki in the crook of her arm and thus the baby's head was positioned right at Jen's breast. When Nikki started rooting around, her subconscious recognized a breast for what it was and she quickly found Jen's nipple, latching on to it through the cloth.

Jen immediately went fire-engine-red and refused to look at Harm while she tried to remove the hungry mouth from her full breast. She absently took note of the new sensation, how different it was from anything she'd ever felt before, not aware that the suction was stimulating not only her nipples, but also the production of oxytocin in her body, the hormone that is among other things responsible for maternal instinct and for the production of breast milk. Even though this wasn't her baby the release of oxytocin produced a maternal reaction and affection in her towards the baby in her arms. And, had the baby suckled longer and with regular intervals, she would've started producing milk as well. A female does not need to give birth to be able to produce milk and lactate. This is nature's way of insuring an infant's survival even if it's mother dies and a surrogate takes over it's care.

Nature is amazing and it made sure that an infant could be fully taken care off and fed by a surrogate mother even in the most primitive conditions, with no baby formula nearby. After all, in the end, what is the sense in potentially harmful baby formulas when the real thing, the one that nothing can or ever will be able to replace, is so easily and readily available and costs absolutely nothing, contrary to expensive formulas?

Inwardly Jen called herself ten kinds of idiot for having foregone a bra. It was supposed to be a casual party, one she hadn't even planned on attending until the last moment when Harm had convinced her, and thus Jen was dressed much more casually than she would be otherwise.

Harm was sure he was red too, but could just not tear his eyes away from what was taking place. Jen's situation was definitely funny, but he was more fascinated by this new facet of Jen.

She'd been a mother figure to Mattie, but Mattie was an already developed person, a teenager. This was a baby, something completely different, and, because they are completely helpless and dependant, babies need a mother acting like a loving, fussing overprotective mother more than teenagers do.

And Jen had fit this description perfectly for the past few minutes.

Until now.

Now she was a fiercely blushing babysitter who got mistaken by a hungry baby for the wrong set of breasts. Thankfully Harm had enough self-control to stop himself from bursting out laughing because as embarrassed as she was Jen would probably kill him for it.

Finally she got herself out of her predicament, but not before imagining this being her and Harm's baby latching onto her nipple, with Harm looking on.

It would've gone so much different then. She would just lift her T-shirt and let their baby eat to it's little heart's (and tummy's) content, while Harm would come to them and put his arms around them, watching the scene as well.

She didn't have a clue that that was exactly what Harm had imagined, when Nikki had made her move, as well. He couldn't help it, no man with even a shred of feelings for a woman, even if just a physical attraction, would not be affected by the sight of that woman with a baby and would not be able to stop the thought of 'If that was my baby...'.

But this was not their baby, she wasn't even Harm's lover, no matter how much she wished to be one, so she had to finally get such ideas out of her head. One would think that after 3 years she would be over such fantasies by now.

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	3. Chapter 3

FINALLY! I've been trying to log on for the whole week, but it was always error 503, server busy. Here's the final part.

Following the nominations campaigns in the US, I can safely say that no matter who is chosen, the people of the US and of the rest of the world will lose.

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Chuckling embarrassedly to clear her head of unwelcome thoughts she commented. "Guess, I shouldn't hold a baby to my breast unless I really mean it."

Harm couldn't stop the snicker that escaped. Yeah, she really shouldn't have.

She stepped over to the refrigerator and took out a pre-prepared bottle. The baby latched onto it and started sucking noisily. Jen cooed at the child. "While this is not the real thing, just as I'm not, it'll have to do for now."

Hearing an amused noise she suddenly remembered that she wasn't the only one in the room and she glanced at Harm bashfully.

"Harriet pumps her milk and stores it in here. She told me to use it if Nikki woke up." Jen felt the need to explain.

Harm grimaced "Ack! That's way more than I ever wanted to know about a friend's wife."

"Sorry, sir." grinned Jen impishly. Harm narrowed his eyes at her, now absolutely sure she'd done it on purpose. She just smiled back innocently at him and looking at her smiling at him like that, with a baby in her arms, he just couldn't even pretend to be mad at her.

Harm was entranced by the sight before him. Jen had always been a beautiful woman, but now with a baby in her arms and a happy glow in her face and eyes she was ethereally breath-taking. He was so entranced by her that it escaped him before he could stop it. "You're beautiful." he breathed, then squeezed his eyes shut in mortification.

Way to make a friendship awkward, not to mention sink your career with a sexual harrassement charge, Rabb!

Jen blushed heavily at first, but then when she noticed it had been a completely unintentional, and thus completely truthful, sentiment her eyes softened and she was flooded with hope.

Suddenly her future didn't seem so undecided.

'Perhaps the hard choice whether to re-enlist next month isn't so hard after all.' she thought as she moved slowly towards Harm.

She stopped before him and would've cupped his cheek had she had an arm free. Because of that she settled for getting as close as possible, stopping a hair-breadth away of pressing herself into his body, before whispering."Thank you."

Harm's eyes snapped open and he was visibly startled to find her so close, but he didn't move away, something which Jen noted with a pleased smile. "No-one had ever said that to me before without some hidden agenda." Jen wore a sad, painfilled smile as she said that.

For a second she re-thought what she was going to say and again considered whether the hopeful end result was worth the risk. In the end, it was. "You really want to be a father, don't you?"

Harm was too deeply submerged into her eyes to notice the true depth of her question and the fear in her voice. "Yes, I do, but not just that. I want it all, not just the kids. First I want the right woman, then I want to marry her and then I want to start a family with her. I want it all, for the rest of my life."

This was an even better answer than she'd hoped for and Jen smiled into his eyes, plans for her life after her retirement having being decided in the space of a few seconds.

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A month later, days after she'd politely rejected an offer of re-enlistment, Jen fulfilled him his first wish, 7 months after that his second and 9 months later the third one when she, still sweaty and exhausted, presented him with their first child, screaming and covered with gunk as it was. He cried from happiness and love for her.

Harm and Jen finally had everything they'd always wanted.

Together.

THE END

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